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The
Osmolality Or Concentration Of Your Pet’s Blood

Your pet’s
blood osmolality value tells your veterinarian if the concentration of
dissolved particles within it is elevated, normal or low.

The blood
of all living things must stay very uniform in its concentration of dissolved
ingredients. Your dog or cat's blood osmolality is determined by a simple
mathematical formula that uses the concentration of dissolved sodium (Na+)
glucose and blood urea nitrogen (BUN)
found in your pet’s blood sample.

Basically,
it tells your veterinarian if your pet’s blood is too concentrated
or too dilute. In healthy pets, their kidneys keep the concentration of
blood's dissolved ingredients under tight control by conserving water
when it is needed and sending excess water out in the urine when there
is too much.

This occurs
in relation to the amount of ADH (anti-diuretic
hormone) the pet’s hypothalamic
region of its brain releases as it constantly monitors the body’s
hydration. If your pet’s osmolality wanders outside its normal range,
cells throughout its body will not function properly or maintain their
normal shape. (There is a minor difference between
blood osmolality and blood osmolarity, but it is not worth pondering over.)

The most common
cause is dehydration. That can be due to fluid loss due to diarrhea, vomiting,
fever or a refusal to drink.

A much rarer
cause is a form of diabetes (D. insipidus)
where a hormone (ADH) that instructs the kidneys
on water conservation is lacking.

Occasionally,
blood osmolality will go up in ordinary diabetes due to very high blood
sugar levels or due to failing kidneys that allow blood urea
levels to become too high or due to too much sodium in the blood (hypernatremia),

Your pet’s
blood osmolarity can also be high in antifreeze (ethylene
glycol), methanol, mannitol, grain alcohol and other poisonings.
But that won’t be reported if its blood osmolarity was determined
based on it blood Na, Glucose and BUN values as it usually is. To reveal
those causes, an osmolal gap test needs to be run.

Too much water
in your pet’s body - as would occur when excessive IV fluids were
given can lower blood osmolality.

Excessive
corticosteroid medications or too little sodium and potassium in the blood
(hyponatremia, hypokalemia) as occasionally
occurs on high doses of diuretics can both lower your pet's blood osmolality.

Any health
condition that can cause water retention, such as heart or liver failure,
bacterial endotoxin release or prostaglandins that impairs kidney function
will also cause reading to be low.